


Reason and Passion

by spacewritermonkey



Category: Doctor-X (TV)
Genre: F/F, Hiromichiko - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:54:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24076294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacewritermonkey/pseuds/spacewritermonkey
Summary: After years of working together and somehow becoming close friends--if not best friends--along the way, Hiromi Jonouchi realizes there are certainly still so much left to learn about Michiko Daimon. Especially when a complete stranger walks into the hospital asking for Daimon, casually dropping their relation to the brilliant surgeon. A female stranger. Just like that, HIromi is prompted into thinking and wondering about a woman she thought she knew well enough.
Relationships: Daimon Michiko & Jonouchi Hiromi, Daimon Michiko/Jonouchi Hiromi
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	Reason and Passion

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into fanfic writing for Japanese drama. So pardon if I get certain details wrong. Especially if I flip-flop between first name and last name usage. Fair warning I may delve into a first-name basis for the characters's dialogue with each other as they probably would if it were in other cultures like that of the west. I honestly don't know if there are other English-speaking fans of this show who'd even get to read this. I'd love to "meet" you guys if there are any! But I just wanted to get this story off of my chest. So here we go.

_Your reason and your passion_

_are the rudder and the sails of your seafaring soul._

_If either your sails or your rudder be broken,_

_you can but toss and drift, or else be held at a standstill in mid-seas._

_– Kahlil Gibran_

The foreigner came out of nowhere.

One moment Hiromi is on her way to a surgery while trying to dodge the daily “procession” that is the chief and his minions when _she_ happens to cross paths with her.

“Excuse me. I’m looking for Dr. Daimon. Would you happen to know where she is?”

Aside from annoying Hiromi with how abruptly her walk was disrupted, something about the other woman just…rubs her the wrong way. It isn’t usually a problem as she’s definitely way more amicable when compared to Daimon (actually…a lot of people would be considered more amicable when placed next to the brilliant surgeon, but that’s not the point, is it?), but somehow the female stranger’s flawless Japanese ticks Hiromi off as well.

When it takes a beat for the anesthesiologist to reply, the blonde— _bet that’s as fake as her nose_ , Hiromi inwardly snorts—goes on to speak even slower. “Sorry. Do you know Dr. Daimon?”

Hiromi can’t help herself and with her stoic facial expression, which thankfully hasn’t faltered at all since the other woman opened her mouth, goes on to reply “Yes. And no. I don’t know where she is.”

With a quick spin and about face, Hiromi sets her mind to ignore the other and proceeds to walk away.

Until one of the lackeys of course happens to overhear and butts into no one’s business.

“You’re looking for Dr. Daimon?” The tone of incredulity covers his words.

Behind a pillar, Hiromi decides to stall and pretend to be on her phone while discreetly trying to observe the interaction going on a few feet away and eavesdrop at the same time.

“Yes! Do you know where she is?” The stranger’s face momentarily fell when Hiromi walked away but perks right back up at the appearance of someone who appears all too eager to help.

“I believe it’s her day off. She’s a freelancer, you know?” The other doctor says snidely like the word “freelancer” is something taboo.

Which obviously doesn’t faze the newcomer as she goes on with a bright smile on her (stupid) face.

A smile that seems to captivate the idiot doctor as the rest of the group—including the chief himself—approach.

“Would you be able to point me to where she lives? Or where I can find her?”

At the question, the males seem to fidget and the chief actually responds on their behalf. “I’m afraid we cannot disclose that information just like that.”

Hiromi is somewhat impressed that the chief apparently upholds his staff’s right to privacy.

“Besides, as far as we know, she’s affiliated with that doctor referral agency. Maybe you can ask them.”

_And then he opens his mouth further, idiot—_ Hiromi inwardly curses him.

“I’m sorry. Who are you?”

“Finally, someone asks the right question,” Dr. Jonouchi mutters under her breath.

“Oh. My apologies. My name’s Alex Bennett. Well, it’s Alexandra, but you can call me Alex. I’m a former associate of Dr. Daimon at New York.”

“Associate?”

“Former?”

“New York?”

The mutterings of the surgeons around her reverberate like a buzzing sound amidst the large lobby where the group’s presence begins to catch the attention of other mingling hospital staff.

Rumors will no doubt reach the ends of the entire institution before lunch even rolls around.

A glance at the time on her phone warns Hiromi that if she doesn’t move soon she’ll be late for her surgery.

Except…

Hiromi takes a mere step away when the rest of _Alex_ ’s words stop her cold.

“Well…former associate sounds so…formal doesn’t it? We dated for awhile in NY,” the _female_ foreigner doctor says with a giggle. A giggle! Hiromi finds herself fuming, but admittedly unsure as to the exact reason why she is upset.

Hiromi whips her head around in their direction at the same time that an audible gasp from the collective males around them resonates well across the lobby.

The smug smile on Bennett’s face adds to the infuriation of Hiromi, with an intensity she did not expect.

But it’s there.

And it’s pissing her off.

How dare she say such a thing!?!

The American may know flawless Japanese, but her manners certainly leave much to be desired.

Obviously she doesn’t know just what she’s done by so carelessly and casually letting such information loose to complete strangers—in the middle of the hospital no less!

Dr. Daimon’s workplace.

_Their_ workplace.

Another gasp and a set of furious whispers amidst the same group distracts Jonouchi from her unconscious furious staring at the foreigner.

Following their gaze, she looks toward the entrance and is surprised to see the very topic of their “conversation.”

“Dr. Daimon!” the hiss of her name flutters through the rest of the surgeons’ lips but…as always, their presence do not faze said doctor, in fact slipping right past the [in]famous surgeon’s sweeping gaze of the lobby—and stops to meet Hiromi’s eyes.

Along with a wide smile.

“Jonouchi sensei!”

And just like that, Hiromi’s anger and everything that’s weighed her down since the stranger came across her path leaves her…weightless.

She’ll admit that around their brief time together at Third Teito University Hospital, she tried to tamp down her reactions to the brilliant—though definitely antisocial—doctor. At first. And maybe even during their first few weeks or so at being freelancers. Together.

But as time wore on, she knew that there was no stopping her emotions from being all over the place whenever Daimon Michiko was involved. She can be happy, sad, pissed off, exasperated—maybe even all of the above, all at the same time.

Never boring though.

To everyone else, she may well still be the stoic anesthesiologist. But to Dr. Daimon, she feels a sense of comfort in letting her emotions show more freely. To her friend’s credit, that freedom she’s found in expressing herself more has expanded even to some of their more familiar colleagues like Dr. Ebina and Dr. Kaji.

And her smile widens as Daimon approaches closer.

Once more, Hiromi finds herself unconsciously moving forward to meet Dr. Daimon halfway, but suddenly finds their path blocked.

By _her_.

* * *

Perhaps it was best that the call came when it did, Hiromi muses as she’s changing her clothes after surgery.

When _that_ woman intercepted what was supposed to be a greeting between the two friends—best friends? Perhaps.

Hiromi internally shakes her head, trying to get herself to stop thinking so much about Daimon and the woman who apparently were _more than_ friends. Two ladies who Hiromi left behind in order to barely make it in time for her surgery. Two ladies who used to date. Two ladies whom she had to leave behind and who are probably getting reacquainted right now.

The sound of her locker door slamming shut brings her back to reality.

To be honest, she doesn’t know why she’s so…disturbed.

Hiromi always figured herself as a pretty open-minded and modern woman. She knows it’s likely one of the reasons she and her ex-husband never really worked out. She was blinded by his looks and admittedly swept away by what appeared to be a fairytale romance. But that relationship quickly lost its luster when he finally started laying down his expectations of her and her place in their marriage.

She loved him and she definitely loves her daughter, but she was definitely not ready to give up on who she was—is—just to try and please his sensibilities.

The media more than made up for her awareness of the LGBT community where she lacked in personal acquaintances or friends who were actually part of said community. And even if she suspected a few in her already somewhat limited social circle as being anywhere close to gay, it’s not her place to bring attention to it—or even ask. But if Alex Bennett is to be believed, then Hiromi can now count on at least one person for certain as being…well…gay.

And perhaps that is precisely what pisses her off the most about said woman.

She had no right to bring up Dr. Daimon’s personal—and private!—matters out into public. Hiromi can’t imagine such an act to be acceptable anywhere at all, regardless of culture or social norms!

However…

Hiromi takes a deep breath as she emerges from the hospital doors.

However, she wouldn’t put it past Dr. Daimon to be unaffected even with such a public disclosure.

Sometimes, Hiromi envied her friend for her unfazed countenance. Perhaps her time traveling and being exposed to various cultures taught Daimon best. Certainly, it was one of her traits that drove their colleagues crazy.

Hiromi would never regret having Mai in her life. Her daughter _is_ her life. But there are times when she wonders what it would be like to be driven so strongly by her passion—much like how Daimon seems to function almost all the time. Daimon loves surgery. She loves being a doctor. Dr. Michiko Daimon loved being a surgeon so much so it was a fine line between an altruistic profession and passionate obsession. Her love for her work certainly pushed her to be the best there is for her patients. “Never fail.”

Her mind jumps back to that morning’s visitor. She wonders what Daimon saw in the woman. In all their time together, she never really saw her colleague interested even the slightest bit romantically in any other human being

“Hey!”

An angry shout from behind her startles Hiromi and she quickly turns to locate the source.

Imagine her surprise at seeing the very subject of her thoughts childishly stomping her way closer towards her.

“Daimon…?” Hiromi is perplexed to say the least. Daimon looks…upset.

“I came to get you this morning to grab a meal and you left me instead!” There is a pair of crossed arms included with the slightly taller woman’s frown and pout.

“I…I had surgery to get to!”

“I thought you said you were free! You said so last night!” Yep, there was a stomp of one foot included, Hiromi checks.

“Have you never heard of the word ‘emergency’?” Jonouchi snarks back. She knows better, she really does, but sometimes it’s just so easy to be drawn into the petty arguments Daimon loves to instigate. Just the other day, Jonouchi found herself arguing with Daimon over a stupid meatball. A meatball! They were full-grown adults!

“Well you didn’t have to leave me there all alone!” Now the brilliant surgeon is waving her arms around like it emphasizes her point.

“Wait…what??”

“You left me alone to deal with that stranger!”

“She said you know each other!” Hiromi finds herself slowly raising her voice as well and she clears her throat in a move to stall and get her thoughts in order. Like, _she said you were former associates! She even said you used to date!_

“What? She did?”

Close to being exasperated, “Didn’t you speak with her at all when I left? Maybe get yourselves reacquainted once more?”

Jonouchi hopes the sarcasm wasn’t too evident in the last question.

“No! I tried to go after you! But then you totally ignored me! I was going to follow but some idiot collapsed near Admitting and then I had to help out another idiot who tried to help the first idiot.”

Hiromi emits a small sigh and slowly pinches the bridge of her nose.

It’s true that she has little patience for fellow colleagues who appear to have barely passed medical school, more so licensure, but Daimon’s tolerance was certainly worse. _Try nonexistent_ , a snide voice inside her pipes in.

Nonetheless, Jonouchi is the voice of reason—most of the time—and tries to rein Daimon back from inflicting her wrath on fellow professionals, especially the poor interns.

_Really? You’re almost as bad as she is with those interns,_ the internal voice reminds her. Unfortunately.

“Okay, okay. A lot of idiots today, then! So what happened to that so-called stranger?”

“I dunno.” Daimon shrugs like she honestly couldn’t care. Jonouchi wouldn’t put it past her.

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I left and I don’t remember seeing her again.”

She’s trying to think of ways to learn more about the foreigner from Daimon, and if her friend truly did not know her but said doctor interrupts her.

“I’m hungry! And I’ve been waiting for forever! Let’s go already!” And with a tug of her hand, Hiromi Jonouchi suddenly finds herself brisk walking the streets of the city with her hand somehow intertwined with Michiko Daimon.


End file.
